The present invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for storing elongated webs of photographic material or the like, and more particularly to improvements in an apparatus for converting elongated webs, strips or tapes into rolls or vice versa. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for convoluting a web, tape or strip (hereinafter called web for short) onto the core or hub of a bobbin or reel as well as for paying out the convoluted web.
It is already known to connect the hub of a bobbin or reel (hereinafter called reel) with one end portion of a flexible attaching element in the form of a band or cord the other end portion of which is secured to a clamping mechanism for the leader of a web. The hub is mounted on and is rotatable by a shaft which can be driven to convolute the attaching element (hereinafter called band for short) around the periphery of the hub and to thereupon convolute the web around the band provided that the leader of the web is properly engaged by the clamping mechanism. Reference may be had to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 1,663,465 wherein the aforementioned mechanism consists of a simple twin clamp or a clamping yoke into which the leader of the web (e.g., an exposed photographic film or an elongated strip of exposed photographic paper) is inserted by hand. Such relatively simple manually actuatable clamping mechanisms are satisfactory if they are accessible to the attendant or attendants. However, it happens quite frequently that the reel is or must be confined in the housing or casing of a cassette or an analogous receptacle for photosensitive material. In such instances, the band and the clamping mechanism are also confined in the housing so that the mechanism cannot be actuated (opened or closed) by hand. The same holds true when the reel is installed in certain types of processing machines, e.g., in certain photographic copying machines wherein a web of photographic paper and a web of photographic film must be transported past the copying station from a supply reel ahead to a takeup reel downstream of such station.